


For You

by Happy45



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: AU Brettsey, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29827437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy45/pseuds/Happy45
Summary: The first time they looked at each other differently, they were ten years old and he’d roped her into going on an adventure with him when they should have been in bed. She was fighting her better judgement the entire time, but she also refused to disappoint him. He was her best friend - she’d do anything for him.AU Brettsey Fic
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 63
Kudos: 137





	1. For You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!! This is a little two-part AU Brettsey fic that I've been working on. It toys with the idea that Matt and Sylvie have known each other since they were little kids.
> 
> All you need to know is that they're the same age in this fic and that I've used some canon events but they don't fit in on a similar timeline as the show. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

The first time they looked at each other differently, they were ten years old and he’d roped her into going on an adventure with him when they should have been in bed. She was fighting her better judgement the entire time, but she also refused to disappoint him. He was her best friend - she’d do anything for him.

There was a park that was an equal distance from his house and her house and after meeting her on her front steps after she climbed out her bedroom window, they’d sprinted down there. There was a storm brewing over their heads, and she could already hear the dressing-down her mother would give her if she found out she’d got caught up in it.

_“It starts off with a few sniffles but then it gets worse. Your temperature skyrockets, you’re shivering under the covers and then before you know it, BAM – you have pneumonia and you’re in a hospital bed wondering why you thought it would be a good idea to stand out in the rain.”_

She’d squirmed at the thought, but it still didn’t stop her from sprinting after him. She’d made a promise and in the three years they’d been friends, she’d never backed out on an adventure with him. Some slightly scary thunderclaps weren’t going to stop her.

Thunder aside, she’d been entirely frustrated that his legs were now longer than hers and he was way ahead of her.

**_20 YEARS AGO_ **

“Matthew Casey!” she called, but Matt merely laughed and kept running. “My legs are shorter than yours, slow down!”

“Come on Sylvie!” he called back, running through the gate and into the park. She managed to catch up with him once he was already standing in the middle of the park, his breath at an even pace.

Sylvie bent over slightly as she tried to catch her own breath, “Are you going to tell me why we’re here yet?” She meant to ask him in school earlier, but he ran off before she had the chance.

“The wind and the thunder always blow branches and chunks of wood off these trees.” Matt explained as they’d looked around at the leaves blowing in the wind. “I want to pick it up before the city cleans it up and before it gets too damp to use.”

Sylvie smiled at him as he looked at the sky around him. The whole thing made a little more sense after his explanation. Matt loved to construct stuff out of wood and whatever else he could find lying around. His grandfather had taught him how to use basic tools and it became a comforting hobby to him. It was also an escape from the realities of living in the Casey household. He could block out whatever argument his parents were having, he could block out the hateful things his father said about him and he could focus on the project in front of him. It was something that could be his and his alone and nobody could take it away.

The only person other than his grandfather that knew about his hobby was Sylvie. For her 10th birthday, Matt had made her the cutest little box out of some old wooden floorboards his parents were replacing in their living room. He’d even carved her name in it. She was half convinced that he should start his own company when he was older and sell what he made – but Matt was convinced his stuff would never be good enough to sell. Nothing he ever did seemed good enough for people. Why would this be any different?

There was a large clap of thunder that caused Sylvie to jump backwards. Matt immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulder and steadied her.

“You’re safe Sylvie. You won’t get hurt. I’m here.”

Sylvie nodded her head and gulped. She always felt safe with him. Well – as safe as a ten-year-old could feel with another ten-year-old.

“It’s kind of beautiful out here – don’t you think?” Matt asked as they looked at the sky above them. The grey clouds were illuminated by the lights of the city. Sylvie had to agree – it was kind of beautiful.

“I guess… in a dark and twisty sort of way.” Personally, she was a sunshine kind of girl, and Matt knew that. He’d claimed it matched her bright personality. Sylvie Brett lit up any room she walked into and Matt knew she always would.

“I’m going to make sure you remember this day as a sunshine day.” He said with a resolute nod. Sylvie frowned in confusion as she turned her head to look at him.

“What’s a sunshine day?”

“A sunshine day – a day you look back on with only fond memories – no matter the weather.” He explained.

Sylvie smiled, “I don’t think I’d ever be able to have a bad memory with you”

Matt was taken aback by her words. Nobody in his life had ever been as kind to him as Sylvie had been. She genuinely wanted to be his friend, she enjoyed his company, she thought he was fun. In that moment, he felt his feelings towards his friend turn into a hardened _crush._

He cleared his throat and bent down to pick up some branches that had fallen. “Just to be sure – I’m going to make you something out of the wood from this tree and give it to you when you’re older.”

“How old?”

“Um… 30.” He decided. He didn’t know why he picked it, but it seemed like a good age. It wasn’t until years later that he realised why it was the perfect age to choose.

Sylvie giggled in response, “Ok. 30.”

Matt held out his pinkie finger and Sylvie linked hers through it, sealing the promise.

“Once you’ve pinkie promised you can’t go back.” Sylvie reminded him.

Matt grinned, “I know. Even without the pinkie – I never break a promise.”

Sylvie felt her cheeks turn red when he smiled at her. It was safe to say her feelings for him turned into a crush in that moment too – and he fully expected him to hand her a wooden gift in 20 years’ time.

* * *

The first time they became aware of the other person’s crush, they were 13 and had gotten themselves into a bit of trouble. They’d taken their bikes down to the shore front one Saturday evening and were bobbing in and out of the streams of people they encountered – angering a few people in the process. At one point, he’d gotten a little too confident, tried to dodge someone, pulled back last minute, banged into Sylvie, and sent her flying into the water.

He’d felt terrible. He’d jumped straight into the water and got her out and as soon as he did, she burst out laughing. He couldn’t help but laugh too. It was kind of ridiculous and they both wished it was on video.

It didn’t feel as funny, however, when a few days later, Sylvie wound up in bed with a horrible cold. Of course her mother then gave her the _‘BAM you have pneumonia speech’_ and told her that she and Matt needed to stop being so silly. On top of that, any time Matt called the house to check in on her, Martha had told him that Sylvie couldn’t talk right now and there was a strict no visitors policy. Martha secretly thought the break from her best friend would do her some good.

Matt wasn’t about to give up though. He’d realised he’d have to resort to other methods of communication – and soon remembered the large tree that stood right outside Sylvie’s bedroom window at the back of her house.

**_17 YEARS AGO_ **

Matt quietly opened and closed Sylvie’s back gate and walked towards the large tree outside of Sylvie’s window. He picked up a twig at his feet before he started to climb. It was trickier than he thought, and he made a note to applaud Sylvie for manoeuvring the tree whenever she snuck out. When he got to the window, he positioned himself precariously on a winding branch before tapping the window with the twig a couple of times until he heard a shuffle in the room.

Sylvie’s eyes widened when she saw Matt sitting in the tree with a grin on his face. She briefly looked behind her to make sure that her door was closed before opening the window.

“Matt, are you crazy?!” she exclaimed in a quiet whisper.

Matt shrugged, “You’ve climbed down this tree to get out of your house plenty of times.” He reminded her as Sylvie narrowed her eyes.

“Besides the point… what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were ok. I was the one who sent you into the water after all.” He said sheepishly. He did feel terrible about it – especially because he had been in the water too but managed to avoid a cold.

Sylvie sent him a small and reassuring smile, “I’m fine, Matt, it’s just a cold.” She insisted – though she’d felt a little flutter in her chest knowing he was prepared to face the wrath of Martha Brett to see her and make sure she was ok. “And I’ll get you back one day…” she said with a teasing giggle.

Matt grinned, “I guess I better watch my back then.” He turned away to look down Sylvie’s garden. “There’s a great view from here.” He observed. He could see into the next street across and the sun that was setting over the city’s skyline.

“Yeah, you can see Mrs River’s house from here. I love that house. I want one just like it when I’m older.” Sylvie told him.

Matt quirked a brow, “You think about houses?”

Sylvie rolled her eyes, “Just because your brain is full of lame _boy_ stuff, doesn’t mean _I_ can’t dream about houses.”

“Whatever you say.” Matt agreed – he knew it was better not to argue over this one. If Sylvie wanted her dream house, then she should be able to have it. He wanted her to have everything she wanted and more.

Sylvie looked at Matt as he continued to see what he could see from the tree. She shifted slightly awkwardly where he stood. She thought it was so weird that she would have a crush on her best friend. Little did she know, he felt the exact same way. For two 13 year olds, it was almost embarrassing that they would look at any girl or boy like that, let alone someone they’d been friends with since they were seven.

“I can’t believe you climbed a tree for me.” Sylvie said absentmindedly. Her cheeks reddened when her brain caught up with her mouth.

Matt awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, “I’d do anything for you, you know that.”

She did now. And for the rest of her life, she never believed otherwise.

“I’d do anything for you too.” She replied almost instantly – then internally rolled her eyes at herself for sounded so eager. Being a teenager with a crush was so _freaking_ _hard_.

“Sylvie?” they heard Martha shout from downstairs. “Who are you talking to?”

“Uh… myself!” Sylvie replied as Matt bit back a laugh. “You gotta go” she whispered to Matt. He looked down and gulped, entirely unsure how he was going to get out of this one unhurt. “Thanks for coming by” she said with one of her sweet smiles as she leaned out the window, quickly kissed his cheek and then closed the window and her curtains.

Matt remained still for a few moments. He knew he’d given himself away in that moment, and normally, he would cower in embarrassment at any sort of recognition of the feelings he had. His dad had tried to reinforce the idea that his emotions equalled weakness, so he repressed those emotions. It was better than facing Gregory Casey’s wrath and being accused of being a weak disappointment.

But he didn’t want to repress the feelings he had for his best friend. Something was screaming at him not too – so he didn’t. He let himself feel.

The liberation he felt in his chest over accepting his crush on Sylvie caused him to stumble on his way down. He landed on the ground with a bit of a thump before letting out an almighty scream. Martha and Peter came rushing out, discovered Sylvie _wasn’t_ in fact talking to herself and grounded her for lying for an entire week. Matt hadn’t come out of it any better – the scream came from his wrist snapping.

The price you pay for love, huh?

* * *

The first time they acted upon their feelings, they were 16, and this time Sylvie had roped Matt into an adventure. It was around 7pm on the night of the first snowfall of winter. Sylvie was standing at their spot in the park, the streetlamps illuminating her as she looked up and allowed little droplets of snow to fall on her face. She loved the snow. She knew most people hated it, but there was something so serene about it to her. It almost made the icy cold temperatures worth it.

**_14 YEARS AGO_ **

“I’m struggling to understanding how you could get mad at me for taking you out in a thunderstorm, but you’re cool with letting me freeze to death out here.”

Sylvie turned around and let out a menacing giggle as Matt sulked towards her, his hands in his pockets and his nose in his scarf.

“Just last week you claimed to be a _‘Chicago guy’_ ” She reminded him, putting air quotes around his words. “Surely the criteria for a Chicago guy includes someone who can appreciate the snow.”

“I can appreciate the snow from the warmth of my home.” He reasoned as he stood a few paces in front of her.

“You didn’t have to come, you know.”

Matt frowned, “Yes I did. You asked me to.”

Sylvie’s face softened. Over the years they’d learnt that the other person would do pretty much anything the other asked them to. She shouldn’t have thought differently of this moment.

“Besides, I wanted to talk to you.” He added on, his stiff posture relaxing slightly as he adjusted to the cold.

“What’s up?” Sylvie asked.

Matt shrugged, “Nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk to you.” He reasoned with a lopsided smile.

Sylvie let out a little laugh and bit her lip, “That smile…”

“What about it?”

Sylvie stepped away from him and looked up at the sky again so he wouldn’t see the blush that was forming on her face. “It’s going to get you into trouble one day.”

What she really meant was that it was going to get _her_ into trouble one day. There were only so many smiles she could take without wanting to kiss him.

As Sylvie looked up at the sky, Matt took his opportunity to have a little bit of fun. He quietly bent down and picked up some snow before carefully crafting it into the perfect snowball. He held his hands behind his back and cautiously stepped towards Sylvie. Soon enough he was standing a breath away from her.

Matt leaned forward so he could speak quietly in Sylvie’s ear. His cold breath felt like a shot of electricity was flowing through her as she bent her head forward and tried to focus on the tree that was visible over her shoulder.

“How much trouble?” Matt said quietly into her ear.

_“… a lot.”_

Sylvie tried to step back, but before she could, Matt lifted his snowball and crashed it over her head before stepping back and laugh.

“Matt… Casey… are you _kidding_ me?!” she exclaimed as she wiped the snow off her head.

“You’re the one who loves the cold so much!” he teased as he started to run in the opposite direction, but Sylvie was quick on his tail.

“Get back here!” she claimed as she picked up bits of snow and threw them, but she couldn’t get them far enough.

Matt eventually stopped to catch his breath, the cold air hurting his lungs – but he instantly regretted it. Sylvie slipped as she was running and crashed right into him, knocking him onto his back and winding him as she landed on top of him.

“Dear _God_ Sylvie” he said with a laugh and a cough at once as she grimaced from on top of him.

“I’m sorry… but also you kind of deserve this…” she reasoned with a little giggle but made no attempt to move. Matt really didn’t mind, however. She was like a weighted blanket in the cold.

“Why do you like the cold so much anyway?” he asked curiously as he ran his hands up her arms.

“I like building snowmen and having snowball fights. I like drinking hot chocolate by the fire and I tend to associate cold with Christmas which you _know_ I _love_.” She said enthusiastically as Matt grinned at her. “I also love wrapping up warm and it’s the perfect excuse to cuddle the people I love.”

“Does this count as cuddling?” He asked.

“Who said you’re a person I love?” she teased as Matt pinched her sides. _“Ow!”_ she exclaimed as she tried to pinch him back, but he overpowered her and turned them over, holding her hands above her head as he hovered over her. “This is totally unfair!”

“Say I’m a person you love, and I’ll let go” he reasoned.

“That is _cruel_ and you are _not_ a cruel person Matt Casey!” she said as she squirmed and laughed from beneath him.

“No, I’m just getting you to admit the truth… cause I know I’m definitely a little bit in love with you.” He confessed as the giggles faded and Sylvie’s lips parted. He loved her? Like _love_ loved her? She thought she was making it all up in her head but apparently not. The crush she suspected he had when they were 13 had turned into full blown _feelings_.

Sylvie couldn’t hide her blush any longer and she knew she was about to fall into the trouble she had just spoken about. She knew if she fell, she probably wouldn’t get back up again. Good thing she didn’t want to.

“I’m definitely a little bit in love with you too.” She replied quietly as the smile on Matt’s face grew. He had also thought it was a total longshot that Sylvie would feel the same way about him, but something came over him in the moment and the words flew out of him – and boy was he glad that they did.

Matt closed the small gap between them and kissed her. They’d kissed a few people in their lives – but not like this. It was tender and sweet and almost too innocent, but it felt right. Not many kisses could make you feel like everything around you was melting away.

They said those words, they shared their first of many kisses and the rest was history. They knew there was no turning back from here.

Sylvie also got her revenge on Matt for the lake incident – because a few days after their snowball fight, he wound up in bed with the flu.

* * *

From that day in the park, they had moved from strength to strength in their relationship. Having their friendship as the foundation of their relationship made all the difference in the world. Matt made her confident, Sylvie made him goofy and together they were a happy, supportive, loving pair. Even Martha Brett couldn’t deny that the boy who once got her daughter into too much trouble was probably the best thing to happen to her.

But then things changed. Two years into their relationship, things had started to unravel. It all started over one weekend in late January of their senior year in high school. Looking back, they both pinpointed that weekend as the beginning of the end for them, and it was a weekend that they wouldn’t forget any time soon.

**_12 YEARS AGO_ **

It was late one Friday night and Sylvie heard some light tapping at her window. She cautiously moved to investigate and was surprised to find Matt hanging from the tree outside. She’d only seen him a few hours ago and now he was here. Once she let him climb through the window, she could instantly tell that something was wrong.

“Hey, hey.” She said as she steadied him, the concern written all over her stare. He was out of breath and a little erratic and it was freaking her out. “What’s wrong?”

“My mom was just yelling down the phone at my dad, I uh – I had to get out of there.” He confessed, the fear and upset written all over his face. She’d seen him upset about his parents before, but this? This felt different. It felt like he was about to break. “You’d think living apart from each other would change things but apparently that’s just too much to ask.”

“I’m sorry” Sylvie said quietly. “What do you need from me?”

Matt finally stopped fidgeting and looked at her, “I just – I don’t need anything, you’re here. I’m ok when you’re here.” He said as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. She didn’t have to say anything to calm him down, her presence was often enough.

He took a deeper breath to steady his breathing before he moved down and kissed her. His lips were insistent against hers and it didn’t take long for Sylvie to respond in fashion. Her lips parted and her hands wandered through his hair and their kiss became heated and urgent, their tongues duelling for dominance.

Matt pulled her body flush against him, his hands wandering down her back and her behind before he placed a light pressure on her thighs. As he lifted her up her legs wrapped rhythmically around his waist, their kiss not breaking in intensity as they did so.

It had been a little under a year since their first time and they had this down to an art now. The first few times had been clumsy, but it didn’t take long to find all of their sweet spots and learn their turn ons. It was never routine, it was never just going through the motions. Being intimate with each other sent their hearts racing every time. They couldn’t get enough of each other.

Matt lowered them down onto the bed, the evidence of where this was going was evident by the tightness of his pants and the fire that was brewing inside Sylvie. Matt moved his hand up Sylvie’s thigh and towards her stomach as he began to undo the buttons of her shirt while moving his kisses to trail down her neck.

“Matt – Matt, wait.” Sylvie managed to muster out, though her resolve was weakening fast.

Matt’s head shot up in concern, “What?” he asked quietly, their breathing ragged. He reached his hand up and gently rubbed over her cheek bone with his thumb.

“We can’t do this here, my parents are down the hall.” She reminded him as she shot him a regretful stare. She didn’t exactly want this to end either, but now really wasn’t the time. Neither of them could say they would be quiet as things progressed.

Matt nodded, “Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” He said as he rolled over, so he was lying by her side. They lay in silence for a moment as their breathing returned to normal.

Sylvie turned her head and looked at Matt. He looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was just so sad. She wished she could just take all of his pain away.

“We should sleep.” Sylvie suggested. By we, she meant him, but she knew he would sleep better with her there. She scrambled up the bed and pulled back the covers for them as Matt sat up.

“Your parents are right down the hall.” He reminded her.

“We’re just sleeping Matt.” She replied. She was prepared to argue with her parents over this one until she was blue in the face if she needed to. Matt was her priority right now and he needed to rest. “Besides, you can sneak back out the window before they wake up.”

Matt couldn’t help but smirk, “I didn’t realise I was your dirty little secret Brett.”

“You are for tonight” she replied with a wink and a grin.

Even in his darkest days, Sylvie never failed to put a smile on his face.

But nothing could have prepared him for the darkest day that was yet to come.

The following morning, Matt had done as Sylvie suggested and snuck out of her window before her family woke up. Sylvie managed to sneak in another hour of sleep before she got up and made her way downstairs. When she did, she found her mother pacing the kitchen while on the phone, her father standing restlessly beside her and her brother Tom looking pretty freaked out at the table.

She cautiously stepped towards them just as her mom hung up the phone.

“What’s going on?” Sylvie asked, a little afraid by what the answer might be.

Her family jumped slightly, not realising that she had walked into the room, their faces falling even further as they looked at her.

“Honey, have you heard from Matt?” Martha asked softly.

“Not since last night…” she lied. She really didn’t need her mom questioning what she was doing with Matt at 5am. Sylvie couldn’t keep a secret if she tried. Her mom would know within ten seconds that he’d spent the night here. “What’s going on?” Sylvie repeated. She already knew it was something bad, so she wished they’d just tell her, especially if it involved Matt.

“Honey, Matt’s dad was killed last night. Someone broke into his house and shot him while he was asleep.” Peter Brett explained to his daughter. “They uh – they think it was his mom.”

Sylvie completely froze. This had to be a dream. She knew the way his parents spoke to one another, but she never expected that their fight last night could have escalated into _this_. Who _could_ have expected this?

“I gotta go” Sylvie mumbled as she grabbed her coat and stormed out the door, despite her mother’s protests. She had to find him, she just had to. She ran to his mom’s house and saw police outside it. It looked like they were doing some kind of search, so she figured he wasn’t there. It only took her a few more moments to realise exactly where he would be.

He’d be in their place.

She ran to the park as fast as her legs out take her, and as she pushed through the gate, she stopped a little distance away from where he was sitting.

He was sitting in the same spot that he’d held her in the thunderstorm, where she’d tackled him in the snow, where he’d kissed her for the first time. He’d gone someplace that made him feel safe and someplace he knew Sylvie would find him.

“Matt?” Sylvie had asked cautiously as she walked towards him. As she got closer, she took in more of his demeanour and her heart felt like it was splitting in two. His hair was messy from running his hands through it so often, his eyes were bloodshot from crying and the exhaustion was evident from the bags under his eyes.

He looked up at her and immediately his eyes filled with tears again. He didn’t want company, but he also wanted to be with her. He _always_ wanted to be with her. It was a mindboggling paradox. He didn’t say anything as his lip quivered and he looked back down at his feet. Sylvie rushed over to him and sat beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and resting her head against his, showing him that it was ok to cry with her, but it was ok not to. It was ok to talk to her, it was ok not to. She would always be a safe space for him whatever he wanted to do.

And he knew that. He cried in her hold that morning like he’d never cried before. And she felt his pain like it was hers. It burned through her. She was so angry that this had happened. She was so angry that this had been the outcome of years of pain and abuse. Yet, she also felt a sense of pride that despite it all, he was a loving, kind, sensitive, wonderful human being. She was proud that she knew him and saw all the good in him. She was proud to love him.

_“I love you. I love you. I love you.”_

She kept repeating to him softly. She didn’t know what else to say. Little did she know, that was exactly what he needed in that moment.

He’d just wished he’d told her that then and there. He wished he’d reminded her he loved her too. Maybe it would have made a difference for what came next.

* * *

Once the police had cleared Gregory Casey’s house, Matt spent an entire week just sitting there, trying to process everything that had happened. He’d lost both of his parents to something so unbelievably tragic, and he didn’t know why. He didn’t realise that it would take another ten years for his mother to give him an answer – and somehow, she managed to shift the blame onto _him_.

She shot Greg Casey because he said something horrible about Matt and Nancy had had enough. She did it for _him_ apparently. She did it just to shut him up. So he wouldn’t hurt Matt like he had hurt her. Whatever the reason, Matt internalised that blame for the rest of his life. It took a lot for him to combat it and it never really went away. The week he went back to school had cemented that reality.

**_12 YEARS AGO_ **

Since Matt was 18 when everything went down, he was abruptly left to fend for himself. Jennifer Severide wouldn’t have that, of course, and she immediately made up a room for Matt which he gratefully accepted. It was nice to have some sort of stability in his life.

It took Matt another week or so before he could face school again. He knew people were talking, he knew all eyes would be on him and he couldn’t face it. Anytime he asked Sylvie what people were saying, she downplayed it. He knew she was withholding the truth from him in a bid to protect him. And that was why he decided he should go back and find out for himself. Besides, he didn’t want to completely throw his future to the wind just because his mother had uprooted his world. He had work to do to make sure his place in college was secure. He had to be practical about it all.

When he arrived at school that Monday, he parked his dad’s old beat-up truck in his usual spot and jumped out of it. He only made it a few steps before he looked up and spotted Sylvie leaning against her car staring at him.

Guilt shot through him like a rocket. He’d barely spoken to her over the past few weeks. They’d spent a lot of time in sheer silence, or just spent no time together at all. This was something he decided to take on alone. But seeing her standing there, smiling softly at him, smiling like he was the only thing in her world that mattered? Maybe doing this alone was a mistake.

Matt walked towards her, his hands firmly in the pockets of his coat; “You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“I know. I wanted to. Thought it might help to have someone who loves you walk in there with you.”

He really didn’t deserve her.

“Yeah. It would.” He replied with a gulp. He wanted to hug her and kiss her and thank her – but those words were all he could muster right now.

Sylvie held out her hand and Matt immediately took it, pulling her closer towards him, her other hand wrapping around his bicep as they walked through the front doors. Matt didn’t really know what to expect from his peers. He hoped things would have blown over by now, but soon as he walked into the hallway, he knew that was wishful thinking. All eyes were on him. He tried not to look at anyone, but he could hear their whispers.

_“Yeah, it’s him. I can’t believe he’s back.”_

_“His mom killed his dad, like how insane is that?”_

_“He looks so sad.”_

_“So does she.”_

Sylvie cleared her throat, “Do you uh – do you want to grab something to eat after school?” she asked, desperately trying to think of anything to say to drown out the whispers.

“I can’t, I’m going to football practice.” Matt told her. Sylvie looked at him surprised. It had been the one thing he wasn’t sure he could get back to because it was the one thing he and his dad actually bonded over. His coach had called round to see him and encourage him to come back and Sylvie had been encouraging him too. She was glad that it had worked.

“I’m glad you’re going back.” Sylvie said quietly as she rested her cheek against his arm. Along with woodwork, football was a real break for him. It was an escape and a way to vent his frustrations and hurt in a safe environment.

“Me too. Though I’m not so keen on dealing with—”

_“Casey!”_

Matt looked up and saw Kelly Severide and Andy Darden coming towards him. If Sylvie was his best friend, then Darden and Severide were a close second.

“Good to have you back man, this place has been _dull_ without you.” Darden joked as he lightly punched his friend’s arm.

“I can confirm Andy hasn’t been walking around with the normal spring in his step. He really missed his third musketeer.” Sylvie teased as Andy pouted. It was entirely true, but he didn’t need Sylvie to out him like that…

 _“I’ve_ missed having someone to ship Darden to when he gets so damn annoying.” Severide grumbled. They loved Andy, he was a total goof, but being his friend came with the price of your patience and sanity at times. “Listen – the other guys…” Severide began as Matt looked over his shoulder to where some of the other guys on the football team were standing. “They’ve been talking shit about everything and we’ve told them to shut up, but I don’t know if the message got through.” Severide warned. He figured it would be better if his friend was aware of this before someone threw an off handed comment.

Matt shrugged uncomfortably, “I can handle it.”

He’d known the moment he’d said it that it was a lie. He should have foreseen what happened next. They walked past Griffin, Peterson and Grogan and they said something that would make anyone snap.

_“Hey Sylvie, watch your back – I hear that kind of insanity runs in the family.”_

It was one thing to make a joke at the expense of his trauma, but to drag Sylvie into it was a whole other level of _fucked up_. 

Matt turned on his heel and broke Griffin’s nose in one swift punch.

 _“Matt!”_ Sylvie has exclaimed as she immediately pulled him back. As much as Griffin deserved that, Matt was not that guy. He was better than that. 

“See? What did I tell you? Insane!”

“Shut the _fuck_ up Griffin!” Sylvie had immediately snapped back. Matt was momentarily taken out of his anger by hearing Sylvie cuss. She never cussed. Well, she never cussed outside of more intimate activities with Matt…

Sylvie had tried to grab his hand to look at it, but he yanked it away and stormed off.

She didn’t see him for the rest of the day. In fact, she didn’t see him for the rest of the _week_. He just took off without a word.

Looking back, she should have known that that was the beginning of the end for them. That him yanking his hand away from her was a symbolic of him pulling away from her emotionally too. The boy that used to share everything with her became quiet and afraid. Like he was scared walking in his own skin. And the girl that used to be his rock distanced herself too. At the time, they just thought they were drifting apart, like people always do, but looking back on it they knew it was about so much more.

He was afraid he was destined to turn out like his parents. She was afraid that she couldn’t give him the support and care he needed. They tried desperately to forgive themselves for their mistakes – but they were only 18. They really didn’t know any better.

After that, everything happened in the blink of an eye. They didn’t really put any effort into their relationship over the next few months. They hung out, they talked about trivial stuff, they had sex just to make them feel something – but nothing in their relationship felt like it had any meaning. They were going through the motions; they were trying not to upset the apple cart because neither of them truly wanted to lose the other.

But they were only 18. They didn’t know how to fix it.

When she went to college in Indianapolis and he stayed in Chicago, it just happened without any debate. Only a few weeks into it, their relationship ended through a phone call of all things. It couldn’t have been more impersonal. It was just not _them_ in the slightest. _But they didn’t know how to fix it_. They were barely speaking anyway, in all honesty, the phone call felt inevitable.

_“This isn’t working… is it?”_

_“… no. It isn’t.”_

They’d promised to stay friends, but both knew they didn’t really mean it. It was too painful. The thought of being just friends would never feel right. They would always be more to one another. If they were destined to be more but could never work it out, then the only thing to do was stay away from one another and hope that the longing would disappear.

It never did. When any of her new college friends asked about her first love, Sylvie said he was the boy she would have given up everything for. When his new college friends asked about his first love, Matt said she was the one that saved his soul.

And both knew they were the one that got away.

And then they never spoke of each other again. They just couldn’t. Something that was so great was gone so quickly and neither of them could really explain it.

* * *

They didn’t see each other for another 11 years. Sylvie made a life for herself in Indiana, while Matt was a Chicago guy through and through – he would never leave it.

Not if there was a chance she would come back to the windy city.

Despite not being in each other’s lives, a day didn’t go by that they weren’t on each other’s minds. They missed each other. Plain and simple. They’d had good friendships and good relationships – but nothing compared to what they had built when they were so young. Nothing compared to how comfortable they were, or how easy it was to talk to each other or the level-headed advice they could give. They would always have ‘what ifs’ about each other, and if those could never be answered, then they were determined to treasure the time they did have together.

But things took an unexpected turn one day at work. Matt had been a lieutenant at Firehouse 51 for nearly two years when she walked back into his life – and his firehouse.

He was on his way to Boden’s office to drop off some paperwork when Otis came by saying the new paramedic was here if he wanted to go and meet her. He didn’t think much of it, nodding his head and walking towards the lounge to make a quick introduction. But then he heard her laugh and he froze before he could look through the glass and see if it was really her or not. For a brief moment he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but then he heard her laugh again and he just _knew_ it was her. He could never forget her laugh.

Matt felt a little flutter in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time. A flutter that no one else had been able to replicate. Sure, he’d been in relationships, he’d loved other people – but _this?_ This was different. It always would be, and he couldn’t quite explain why.

He cautiously took another step forward, his sight confirming what he had heard. She hadn’t changed a bit. Yes, she looked a little older, but her smile was the same, her eyes were the same, her _warmth_ was the same. Suddenly, he craved hearing her voice again. His legs took him into the lounge without even realising and soon enough, she spotted him, stopping her conversation with the others abruptly as everyone eyed her in confusion.

 _“Matt?”_ she said in an almost whisper as a little smile toyed on her face.

“Hi Sylvie” he replied.


	2. Meant to Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your kind comments on part one. I hope you enjoy this part just as much!

_“Matt?”_ she said in an almost whisper as a little smile toyed on her face.

“Hi Sylvie” he replied.

“Oh my god, hi!” she greeted with a laugh as she rushed forward and engulfed him in a hug. They’d forgotten how well they just _fit_ in each other’s arms, so this was a pleasant reminder.

“You two know each other?” Gabby asked as everyone observed them.

Severide scoffed, “Oh they know each other all right—”

Sylvie reached out and swatted Severide on the arm as she pulled back from the hug. She had been shocked to see Severide’s face sitting at the table in the lounge when she walked in, but she was not expecting the double shock she would face when Matt walked through the door.

“We uh – we were best friends growing up.” Sylvie had simply explained as she continued to look at him with the fondest look on her face. Considering how they ended, she’d surprised _herself_ that she still looked at him like that. But she didn’t feel any sense of bitterness or resentment or regret. She was just glad to see the person she had loved so deeply again.

“And we dated” Matt added on. He didn’t want that part of their story to be brushed under the rug, because it mattered to him. It was two of the best years of his life. They were each other’s first everything. First date, first time, first love. It mattered. _She_ mattered. She always would.

“You never told me about your high school girlfriend.” Gabby said. It was then that Sylvie clocked on she and Matt had something. Girlfriend? Wife? Ex-girlfriend? Ex-wife? She didn’t know, but whatever Gabby was, she looked a little uncomfortable.

Matt shrugged, “It never came up.” It never came up for a _reason._ He didn’t like to talk about Sylvie. He didn’t like to be reminded about what he lost and what he didn’t fight for. He may have thought he was doing a noble thing by walking away, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

Someone had cleared their voice beside Sylvie to grab her attention and break the tension, “Hi, Stella Kidd, welcome to 51.”

“Thank you, it’s good to be here.” Sylvie said as she shook the firefighter’s hand.

“I bet you have some interesting stories to tell about Casey as a kid.” Stella retorted.

“No, I don’t think she does.” Matt said quickly as he shook his head.

Sylvie smirked, “Oh I have _plenty_ of stories to tell—” The lake incident that resulted in Matt being banned from seeing Sylvie, a bad dose of the cold and a broken arm, immediately sprung to mind,

Before Sylvie could tell any of her stories, the bells went off calling all units to a house fire.

“Saved by the bell.” Sylvie remarked to Matt as they walked to the apparatus floor.

“Lucky me… but later, you can tell me some stories of what you’ve been doing for the past 11 years.” He told her as they approached their vehicles.

“Count on it.”

* * *

It took them until late that evening to catch up again, but when they did, it was like nothing had changed. They fell back into an easy rhythm with each other and they realised just how much they had missed their friendship. As well as that, they also got to talk about what went down between them. They got some answers they didn’t realise they were looking for and they got to appreciate the lessons they had learned from the experience.

“It was really good seeing you in action today.” Sylvie said as she sat down beside him on his bunk. “I should have known that someone as good and noble as you would end up as a firefighter.” She complimented as Matt gave her a faint and lopsided smirk. He wasn’t used to people complimenting him. “I also should have guessed that you’d end up working in the same firehouse as Severide and Darden. You three could never be apart for long.” She teased.

Matt _really_ smirked at that. Like he and Sylvie had come as a duo back in the day; he, Severide and Darden were a secure trio.

Well, right up until the accident they were.

“I uh – I’m really sorry about Andy.” Sylvie told him quietly. “My brother told me what happened.”

“Thanks” Matt replied quietly. “We know the risks that we take with this job, but it doesn’t make it any easier when the risks become a reality. Or when it’s your best friend that’s killed.”

Sylvie could tell that Matt really carried the burden of Andy’s death. How could he _not_? From what she knew, Matt was his lieutenant. He was responsible for his life. It was something that he would always carry with him.

“Severide and I also fell out because of it.” Matt confessed. “It was pretty messy. We blamed each other, we got into some pretty terrible arguments… in the end, we realised that we’d both lost too much in life to lose each other too.”

Sylvie smiled at him. She wasn’t sure if she believed in the concept of soulmates, but if she did, she would make a strong case for Severide being Casey’s. She knew their friendship was one that would last a lifetime.

“I’m glad you two still have each other.” She said gratefully. Growing up, Matt didn’t have a lot of people he could trust, so it mattered to her that the most important people stuck around – especially when she didn’t. “What about Dawson? What’s the story with her?” she asked curiously. Matt turned his head and narrowed his eyes. How did she know about Dawson? “You guys just looked a little tense, that’s all.” She explained, realising the question behind his eyes.

“We dated. Then she joined truck 81 and the lines between work and home started to get blurred. It’s not exactly the best idea to date your superior officer.” He explained as Sylvie nodded along. “I was trying to be her lieutenant and her boyfriend and keep those two things strictly separate, but I felt like she couldn’t respect either one… and then she ended it without so much as a conversation.”

“Oh.” Sylvie replied. It felt eerily reminiscent of their demise. They hadn’t talked about what went wrong. They’d just let things get worse until there was no turning back. Sylvie assumed the only difference here was that Matt knew what the problem was with Gabby. Neither of them really knew the problem when they were 18.

“Gabby Dawson is the most single-minded person I have ever met, and we need people like that in life but it’s not what I want in a partner. I want someone I can cheer _with_ , not just _for_.” He explained succinctly. He didn’t need to go into the ins and outs of his relationship with Dawson. He didn’t want to either. He was putting it behind him and moving forward.

“Knowing what you want is half the battle.” Sylvie replied.

“Yeah… what about you? What brings you back to Chicago?” he asked curiously. He really didn’t know anything about her life in Indiana, but he knew enough to know that she seemed pretty settled.

“After college I moved to a small town in Indiana with my boyfriend, Harrison.” Sylvie began to explain. “Turns out small town life wasn’t for me and neither was he. In a nutshell, he’s a narcissistic asshole. He never really believed in me, he never wanted me to chase my goals, he just didn’t think I was capable of much.”

Matt had wanted to find this Harrison guy and punch him the moment those words came out of Sylvie’s mouth. She was the most capable person he knew. She could do anything she set her mind to, she was strong and determined and compassionate and so full of joy – the world could be hers if she wanted it.

“I realised he wasn’t worth bending myself out of shape to make happy. So I left. I came home and I haven’t looked back to since.” She said with a determined nod. The whole thing hurt, but it was definitely the right decision for her.

“Well, I’m glad you’re back. I’ve missed you Sylvie Brett.” He said as he nudged her with his shoulder.

Sylvie smiled at him, “I’ve missed you too. You’d think after 11 years you’d get used to being without somebody.”

Matt shook his head, “There’s nothing usual about my life without you.”

Sylvie gulped as they looked at each other. She’d missed his eyes. She’d missed his smile. She was glad that after all this time they hadn’t changed.

“I hate the way we left things.” She blurted out before her head could really catch up to her mouth.

Matt nodded, “Me too. We really weren’t communicating back then.”

“No, we weren’t.”

“We were so young Sylvie.” Matt began. He’d spent 11 years reflecting on their relationship and while he’d never fully understand how they could let it go so wrong, he did have some answers for her. “We were young, and I didn’t appreciate what I had. I was going through something that no teenager should ever have to go through, and I put a wedge between us because I thought I was damaged goods. I didn’t want to drag you down with me. I thought I was doing the noble thing but – I’m not so sure that’s true. I think I just ended up hurting us both.”

“I don’t blame you for it, Matt.” Sylvie made clear immediately. “You’re right, we were young and how were you supposed to process losing both of your parents like that? There was no right way to do it and I wish I had the answers for you back then but – I didn’t. I was only 18 too. I didn’t have the emotional maturity to be there for you in a way you needed. I’m not sure I even have the answers _now_ on how to be there for somebody.” She confessed. Sylvie then shook her head, “Whatever happened in the past – we learn from it. I don’t want to dwell on it, I want to move forward, I want to focus on where we are right now. By some crazy twist of fate, we’re right _here_. I’m sitting beside you and I just know I don’t want to let you walk out of my life again.”

Matt felt the same. He was determined not to let her slip away. This was his best friend growing up, the person who knew him best.

“Friends?” Sylvie asked hopefully.

Matt smiled earnestly. As if he would say no.

“Always” he replied as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

In that moment, their lives suddenly felt like they had some direction and meaning again.

* * *

They kept to their word that night and they stayed the best of friends. They slipped back into an easy rhythm with each other and they were a real bright spot in each other’s lives. It amazed everyone that after being in a relationship and after being apart for so long, they could just slip back into a friendship with such ease.

But it made perfect sense to _them_. They’d talked it over, they said everything they wanted to say, and they would take each other in their lives in whatever way they could.

At the time, neither of them could really see what was happening between them, but looking back, it should have been more obvious. It happened when they were kids, and it was happening now. Their friendship was deepening, their feelings were deepening, and they were slowly but surely falling in love again. Every day they were reminded exactly why they had fallen in love in the first place. They were a constant place of love and support and friendship and most of all – happiness. They were never not smiling when they were with each other.

Things started to take a turn when Sylvie had been at 51 for around 3 months. Like always, she met Matt at the coffee machine the morning of their shift and caught up with each other. Sylvie mentioned she needed to fix some stuff up around her new apartment. She had a stiff bathroom door and one of the kitchen cabinet doors had fallen off in her hand last night. Matt of course offered to help her out and she graciously accepted it with a promise of a nice homecooked meal by way of thank you.

Before they could talk about much else, however, Gabby walked into the lounge with an announcement. She had decided to take a job in Puerto Rico as an aid worker and this was her last shift. Nobody really knew what to say about her abrupt departure, but they quickly came around and wished her well.

Sylvie looked at Matt and saw that he seemed a little unsure about what to do with himself. Maybe some time spent fixing cabinets over a glass or two of wine was more needed than she originally thought. She was glad that she could be here for him and help him navigate some no doubt complex emotions.

“Hey… you ok?” she asked quietly as the others crowded around Gabby.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m ok.” He said with a little smile. “This was definitely something Gabby was born to do.” He said proudly. “It’ll be a little weird without her here.”

Sylvie nodded, “Yeah, no doubt.”

Maybe his emotions about it weren’t as complex as she thought. He clearly respected and admired Gabby, but there weren’t any deep feelings there. She was his colleague and his friend and he was excited for her.

Matt took his chance to wish Gabby well when the crowd had cleared a little. They didn’t talk for long before Matt left to do some paperwork in his quarters and Gabby walked over to Sylvie who was still by the coffee machine.

“You know… Matt has been in a really good mood the past few months.” Gabby observed as she poured herself a cup.

Sylvie frowned, “Not more so than usual… I mean, I obviously haven’t seen him in a long time, but he seems like the Matt I know.” She observed. Well, the Matt she knew before the death of his dad.

“Maybe he’s back to being the Matt you know because you’re back in his life.”

Sylvie didn’t really know what to say. She wasn’t sure what Gabby was implying, so she just stood there awkwardly, her lips parted slightly.

“I’m not really known to beat around the bush so I’m just going to come out with it” Gabby said as she set her mug down. “Any shred of possibility that Matt and I would get back together was thrown out the window when you came back into life. And this isn’t me trying to start something, I’m just saying – if Matt had ever looked at me the way he looks at you? We wouldn’t have broken up.”

“I uh – I don’t really know what to say…” Sylvie said slowly. She remembered the way Matt looked at her when they were teenagers, but she hadn’t really considered that he still looked at her like that now. Truth be told, she tended to avoid making too much eye contact with him, because she knew there was a high probability that his eyes would suck her back in. She liked where they were right now, they had their friendship back – she didn’t want to screw that up.

“Do you still love him?” Gabby asked curiously.

“He was my best friend.” Sylvie replied with an awkward laugh.

Gabby smiled knowingly, “That wasn’t the question.” Sylvie remained quiet again. Truth was, she wasn’t sure she’d ever stopped loving him, but it wasn’t a reality she was prepared to face right now. How could she explain loving someone she hadn’t seen in 11 years? How could she explain this deep-rooted connection that never went away? It didn’t make any sense.

“Whatever your feelings are” Gabby said, snapping Sylvie out of her thoughts. “I hope you guys work them out. You both deserve to be happy.” She said sincerely as she gently touched Sylvie’s arm before walking away.

* * *

After that moment, things felt frustratingly _complicated_ to Sylvie. She’d been doing a pretty good job of ignoring her feelings until Gabby’s observations. After a few weeks of uncertainty about it all, Sylvie decided the best course of action was to bury her feelings. What was the point in uprooting their friendship over the possibility that they _might_ be destined for one another? Especially when she wasn’t sure she really believed in destiny.

In a bid to distract herself from Matt, and more specifically Matt’s eyes and his smile – even his hands were driving her crazy – she sought companionship elsewhere. While on a call she met a Lieutenant from Firehouse 40 who seemed sweet. More than that, he was _impossibly_ handsome. She felt bad calling him a distraction at first. He deserved better than that. But it didn’t take long for the distraction to turn into some actual feelings.

He was a flirty guy – and he was the reason she was currently grinning at her phone as she lay in her bunk at 51. She’d been messaging Greg all evening and he was just impossibly _sweet_. She was totally distracted from anything else that was going on around her. She vaguely remembered Foster coming in and asking her about inventory and Stella bringing her some biscuits Cruz had been baking, but she was in her own little flirty bubble.

Matt was also fully aware of the bubble Sylvie was in. He’d been sitting in his quarters while she lay on her bunk, every now and then sneaking a glance over to see what she was doing. He’d heard from the others that Sylvie had been seeing some lieutenant at 40. He didn’t like the sinking feeling he got in his chest knowing that Sylvie felt she couldn’t tell him herself, but he understood.

Well, he _tried_ to understand. He rarely had any coherent thought when it came to Sylvie. She’d always clouded his brain a little. Ever since she’d come back into his life, the confusion had only grown. He’d been trying to find a round about way to bring it up with her without making it look like he was prying.

After hearing one giggle too many from Sylvie, Matt sighed and walked towards her, resting his forearm on the wall beside her bed. Sylvie finally looked up from her phone and propped herself up on her elbows.

“You ok?” she asked slowly.

“Yeah, I just – this Grainger guy…”

Sylvie gulped, “You know about Grainger?”

Matt gave her a light smile, “Nothing stays secret around here.”

Sylvie clicked her tongue, “Right…” she said as she sat up. “It’s not a big deal, it’s super casual.”

“Well, whatever it is, I just feel like – as your _friend_ – I should warn you that dating in the department? It can get messy. It takes a lot of work to get right.” He said, speaking from experience. Even though he definitely _didn’t_ get it right.

Sylvie quirked a brow, “Ok but the difference here is you dated in house. I’m not.” She reminded him. It really wasn’t the same situation.

“It’s still tricky.” He reiterated. Matt scratched his brow and scrunched up his face. “I’m sorry, I must sound like a total tool…” he grumbled, catching himself on. He never wanted to sound like he was telling her what to do, he just wanted her to be careful. He wanted nothing but the absolute best for her, especially if the best for her couldn’t be him. “I’m just looking out for you. I’ll always look out for you.”

Sylvie nodded her head and smiled, “I know.” She replied quietly. “And I appreciate it – but I totally have this under control. Promise.”

Matt let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding; “ok.”

They remained in silence for a few minutes as Sylvie eyed Matt curiously. Something was bothering him. It had been bothering him all day. She may have been buried in her phone but not so buried that she wasn’t stealing glances at Matt.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she stood up and walked towards him.

Matt looked at her briefly, surprised that she’d picked up on his mood. Aside from the Grainger thing, he was pretty wound up about something work related.

“You know me too well” he grumbled as he ran his hand over his head and Sylvie smiled sympathetically at him. “I’ve just been a little on edge about the Chief Mullins thing.” He confessed. He’d made a risky call today to save the life of a man who attempted to throw himself off a building and he wasn’t sure it had gone down with Chief Mullins who was covering Boden for half a shift. “I keep expected some kind of reprimand to come in from headquarters.”

“Take Mullins out of the equation and focus on the call. Did you make the save?”

“Yes…” he said slowly. She was there, she saw what happened. Why was she asking?

“Ok, is there anything you would do differently about how you made the save?”

“No.” he said confidently.

Sylvie nodded, “Then you have nothing to worry about. Being an officer, you have to make some tough decisions, but you don’t make them without weighing everything up. You take calculated risks and that’s what makes you a good lieutenant. The fact that you question yourself afterwards is only a natural human reaction. Especially when it’s an emotional call. You’re not going to be reprimanded for saving a life Matt. Have some faith in yourself.”

“How is you always know the right thing to say?” Matt asked quietly. “Even when we were little kids - you always manage to make my world that little bit brighter.”

Sylvie shrugged and bit her lip, “I just know you. That’s all.” She simply replied. She knew the right thing to say because she knew Matt and she knew his heart and she knew his goodness. She’d take any opportunity she could to make sure he knew his goodness too.

Matt knew in that moment that he didn’t like this Grainger situation _at all._ What turned into concern had shifted into full blown _dislike_. He knew it wasn’t fair, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t bare to see someone that fit so perfectly into his life be with someone else. _That_ didn’t seem fair.

Before anything else could be said, Connie appeared at the door to the bunk room.

“Lieutenant – Chief Boden wants to see you in his office.” She told him.

Matt nodded, “Thanks Connie.”

As Connie disappeared, Matt turned back to Sylvie and grimaced, “Maybe I am going to get that dressing down after all…” he grumbled as he walked towards the door.

“What did I just say about having a little faith in yourself and the calls you make?” she scolded.

“Sorry…” he said sheepishly as he opened the door. “I’ll be sure to send Boden to you if he dares to question me.”

 _“Go.”_ Sylvie said as she playfully rolled her eyes as Matt chuckled down the corridor.

She sighed as the door slowly closed behind him. Maybe distracting herself from Matt was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

* * *

Soon enough, Matt realised that he should have listened to Sylvie in the bunk room before he went into Boden’s office. Yes, he stood by what he did, and he would do it again, but that didn’t mean he appreciated – or _liked_ – being questioned by the higher powers. He’d gone into Boden’s office expecting the worst - but came out with the best.

_“Lieutenant, I came to this house knowing that you have a reputation for doing things its own way. And I know Chief Boden has a sharp eye for leadership but let me tell you something Lieutenant – that rope rescue was like nothing I have ever seen. No other firefighter I know would have risked it, but it any other truck had responded to that call, that young man would be dead right now. You put the victim first. You put his life ahead of your career.”_

_“All of truck 81 did.”_

_“Spoken like a true leader. Which is why I’ve recommended you for a meritorious promotion.”_

Those words stayed fresh on his mind for the rest of his life. It was an amazing moment – and it was made even better by Sylvie in the simplest of ways.

He left Boden’s office and made his way back to his quarters, only to meet a slightly panicked Sylvie on his walk.

“Hey, what happened? Are you ok? You look sad? Worried? Oh my god, they didn’t fire you, did they?! Because I will _totally_ —” Sylvie panicked as she crossed Matt in the hallway later that evening.

“They didn’t fire me.” Matt said quickly, the amusement covering his face at Sylvie’s panic.

“Oh, good.” She said as she calmed down a little and let out a breath. “What happened then?”

“… I got a promotion.” He said, still in a slight state of disbelief.

 _“… what?”_ Sylvie said quietly, the pride swelling in her chest. Of _course_ he got a promotion, he’s Matt _freakin_ Casey, she should have guessed!

“They’re giving me a meritorious promotion to Captain—”

Before Matt even had the words out, Sylvie had squealed and jumped into his arms, squeezing him tightly. Matt stumbled slightly before his hands snaked around her back and he buried his nose in her shoulder. Holding her was without a doubt the only thing that could make this moment better.

“You are _amazing.”_ She said quietly into his ear.

He wasn’t sure anyone had ever told him he was amazing before. He wanted to tell her _she_ was amazing and that he was so grateful she had believed in him all his life, especially when no one else did, but the bells went off calling ambo out to a person in distress.

“Ahh – duty calls.” Sylvie said as she pulled back from the hug. “Congratulations – _Captain_.” She said with a playful wink as she walked away.

“It’s not official yet” he called after her.

“I’m just getting you used to it!”

* * *

Matt lay in his bunk that night, his fingers tapping against his chest as he tried to get some sleep. He never slept well on shift anyway, but the events of today weren’t making it any easier. His heart was racing – was he really getting a promotion? A _meritorious_ promotion at that? Naturally, he couldn’t quite believe that the CFD thought he was worthy of such a thing. Very few people ever did see him as worthy.

Except Sylvie of course. She saw his worth from the moment they met.

There was a light tap at the door as Matt lifted his head and saw the woman in question poke her head through the door.

“Hey. You busy?” she asked in a whisper.

Matt looked at his watch. It was 2am. Did she really think he would be busy at this hour? “I’m sleeping.” He grumbled in response.

Somehow, he still managed to see Sylvie grin through the dark. “I’m too excited to sleep.”

Matt propped himself up on his elbows; “Why?”

“Because you just got promoted _Captain.”_ She reminded him like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 _“That’s_ why you’re excited? Because of something that happened to _me?”_ he asked in disbelief. Though, in hindsight, he should have known better than to think she wouldn’t have been more excited than him. It was always that way with them.

“As your friend I’m allowed to be excited too.” She reasoned with an assured nod. “Normally for occasions like this I would have swiped a bottle from my dad’s liquor cabinet but that’s not entirely _sensible_ when on the job…” she joked as she raised her eyebrows.

“No, it is not.” Matt agreed with a snigger. He’d stolen a few bottles from his parents too back in the day.

“I thought ice cream was a decent alternative.” She suggested as she lifted the tub out from behind her back and held up two spoons.

“Say no more.” Matt said as he sprung up and followed her out the door.

Matt had decided soon into their ice cream eating session that if he experienced a sleepless night again, this was the only other thing he wanted to be doing. They sat on the apparatus floor for a few hours eating and laughing together, just like they used to when they were kids.

“Who would have thought that the two little kids who thought it would be a good idea to hang out in thunderstorms would be sitting in a Firehouse as Captain Casey and PIC Brett?” Sylvie questioned. Sometimes she wondered if her mother had been right about them being bad influences on each other.

“The PIC Brett part definitely makes sense to me. You’re the most caring person I know, you were made for this job.” Matt complimented.

“Yeah, and it’s not like you’re incredibly kind and caring and you definitely do _not_ go the extra mile for people…” she replied sarcastically. Matt never could take a compliment and he could never admit that he was proud of himself. He didn’t need to anyway – Sylvie was on hand to do it for him.

“Let’s not get into a compliment battle.” Matt said with a laugh as he took another scoop of ice cream.

“I would totally _win_.” Sylvie boasted as she stuck her nose up in the air. She could say nothing but good things about Matt until she was blue in the face if the situation required it.

“You’re too good for my ego…” he said as he nudged her with his elbow. “I should have known that from the moment you _raved_ about that little wooden box I gave you for your tenth birthday.” He reminisced. He remembered her reaction like it was yesterday. Nobody had ever made him feel as good as Sylvie did in that moment.

“I was right to rave about it, it was _amazing_.” Sylvie insisted again. “No wonder you went into construction. And I still have that box. I keep my jewellery in it.” She said proudly. It was a well-made box, but more than that, it was one of the last things she had of his. Any of his t-shirts or hoodies that she’d never returned to him stopped smelling like him after a few weeks – but that box never changed.

“You’re kidding.” Matt mumbled; the surprise evident across his face. He really didn’t expect her to keep it for 20 years. He didn’t realise it was that special to her.

“No, I love that box. It’s the perfect reminder of you.” She said quietly as Matt merely blushed. “Speaking of birthdays…” Sylvie went on to say. “My 30th is coming up.”

“Oof, how do you feel?” Matt asked with a grimace. He’d turned 30 a few months ago and only a week later he found his first grey hair.

“Surprisingly ok about it.” She said with a smile. “I think 30 is going to be a good year for me.”

Matt grinned and shook his head, “Your eternal optimism never ceases to astound me.” He wished he could take some of that optimism for himself sometimes.

“I definitely have enough optimism for the both of us. I was thinking of having a little gathering at Molly’s to celebrate, nothing too exciting, not elaborate.” She said casually. She really didn’t want a fuss.

“… so that means I can’t get you the 6 layered birthday cake anymore?” he jokingly questioned.

“… I’ll allow it, but only if there’s a lemon layer.” She reasoned.

“Consider it done.”

Sylvie laughed, “But seriously – do you think Herrmann would be cool with that?”

Matt nodded, “Absolutely. Herrmann loves an excuse to celebrate someone at 51. And if it brings him business at Molly’s, he’ll be doubly for it.”

“Good. I’ll send out some texts tomorrow.” She said happily as she slumped back into her spot beside him. She looked out of the closed doors and saw that it had started to rain a little. “This is a sunshine day.”

Matt turned his head and looked at her with a raised brow, “You think?” he remembered the first time he’d ever told her about sunshine days when they were ten years old. His heart warmed knowing that she remembered them too.

_“A sunshine day – a day you look back on with only fond memories – no matter the weather.”_

“The day you became a Captain and we sat on the apparatus floor eating ice cream? Yeah, definitely a sunshine day. I’ll remember that over the rain.” She said with a fond smile.

Yeah. This sunshine day was one they wouldn’t forget any time soon.

* * *

A few weeks later, Sylvie’s birthday rolled around, and she was _full_ of excitement. They had a mini party at 51 on her actual birthday. It didn’t include a 6-layer cake, but it _did_ include a lemon cake, balloons and confetti - and that was all Sylvie could have asked for. In the short time that Sylvie had been at 51, she already felt like part of their family. It was like she was always meant to be here. Being placed at 51 made her question whether she believed in destiny after all.

The day after shift, Herrmann excitedly got Molly’s ready for Sylvie’s birthday gathering. Matt was right – he was incredibly grateful for the business, though he _insisted_ it was all about celebrating Sylvie.

Matt remembered that night fondly. It was a turning point in his relationship with Sylvie. But at the time, neither were entirely sure how to feel about it. They didn’t know what way their relationship would go after the confessions of that night.

Matt had spent most of his time at the party just watching her. He knew it probably seemed _crazy_ , but he just loved watching her gracefully move around the room, her face remaining bright and her enthusiasm never waning as she spoke to people. It was clear that her life in Chicago was something Sylvie had missed.

One person Matt didn’t love seeing Sylvie talk to was Grainger. She wasn’t all over him by any means, but it didn’t make it any easier seeing him bend down and whisper something in her ear that caused her to smile. There was a time when he used to be the person who did that. They’d be at a party in high school and he’d whisper something sweet in her ear that caused her to forget the world around her.

She’d been talking to Grainger when she’d caught his eye across the room. In any normal situation he’d turn away so it hadn’t looked like he was staring, but it was Sylvie. He could never turn away from her. He watched as she excused herself from Grainger, her eyes remaining firmly on Matt the entire time. She pushed her way through the crowd until she was standing by his side at the back of the bar.

“I’ve barely seen you tonight.” She observed as she set her wine glass down on the table.

“There have been a lot of people for you to talk to.” He reminded her as they looked out over the crowd.

“Yeah, it’s been so nice to have all my favourite people in the same room.” She said happily. “But it’s a little stuffy in here – you want to get some air?” she asked hopefully. Another thing they always did at parties was sneak off to a quieter spot.

“Sure.” Matt agreed. Sylvie led the way, allowing Matt to lean under the table and lift a long gift bag. Now seemed like a good chance to give her her birthday present.

They exited through the back of Molly’s and moved down the alley, so they were away from the bins, but still out of view from the main street. Sylvie leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky.

“Considering how miserable the weather was yesterday, it’s such a nice evening.” She observed. “Are you having a good time?” she asked, looking down at Matt as he rested his shoulder against the wall.

“Any day celebrating you is a good day.” He teased as she playfully rolled her eyes.

“Aren’t you a charmer… what’s in the bag?” she said as she looked down to his side after realising he was holding something.

Matt smiled, “It’s your birthday present.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything” she insisted as he handed her the bag.

Matt shrugged, “I made you a promise when we were ten – and I don’t break my promises.”

Sylvie mouth fell open slightly, the memory of that day flooding her mind. When they were talking about their first sunshine day last shift, it hadn’t even crossed her mind that he made her a promise that night. But now she remembered.

“We pinkie promised.” She mumbled out as Matt nodded his head.

Sylvie lifted the gift out of the bag and unwrapped the tissue paper that surrounded it, her heart skipping a beat by what she saw. It was a long piece of polished wood with a skyline of Chicago expertly carved into it. She delicately ran her fingers over the woodwork, at a loss for words. This was without a doubt the most beautiful and thoughtful gift she had ever received – especially given the significance of the memory behind it.

“I know you’ve still been looking for some stuff to decorate your place with, so I thought a little taste of home wouldn’t go amiss.” Matt explained with a lopsided smile.

“Is this made from the wood you picked up that night in the storm?” she asked, continuing to look down at the carving. It was as beautiful as the box he’d given her when they were ten.

“I managed to find one piece of wood that night that wasn’t damp. I took it to my grandpa’s house and got him to cover it in a preservative until I could work out what to do with it. Good thing I had 20 years to find some inspiration.”

“I can’t believe you remembered.” Sylvie said as she finally looked up, only to find his eyes boring through her with the same brightness as they had that day 20 years ago. She also felt her cheeks turn as red as they had when she realised she had a serious crush on her best friend. But this time it was so much more.

“It was a sunshine day. I always remember a sunshine day.” Matt reasoned. “I thought I’d take you out for dinner some night too, it is your 30th after all, I’m not sure this carving cuts it as a good enough gift—”

Before Matt could ramble anymore, Sylvie tilted her head up and kissed him square on the lips. It was as sweet and tender and innocent as their first kiss had been. It may have been 11 years since their last kiss, but kissing each other still felt as easy as breathing.

Sylvie pulled back as they both slowly opened their eyes, the surprise at her actions written across both of their faces.

“I’m sorry, I just—” she began, struggling to find the words to explain herself. “This is really perfect.” She whispered. “It’s perfect and I just felt the overwhelming need to kiss you and – yeah. It’s perfect. Thank you.” She repeated.

Matt nodded and gulped, unsure what his next move should be. Instead of doing anything he just said, “You’re welcome.”

Sylvie took a step back from him. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she found herself making a confession without even thinking about the potential consequences.

“You know – just before Gabby left, she asked me if I was still in love with you.” She told him as she slipped her gift back into the bag and held onto its strings securely.

“What did you say?” Matt asked.

“I said you were my best friend.”

“… you didn’t answer her question.”

Sylvie merely nodded her head before taking a few more steps back; “I should get back inside.”

And with that – she was gone. Suddenly, an incredibly tender moment had turned into an incredibly tense one, and neither of them knew where to go from here.

* * *

The following day, Sylvie told Grainger she couldn’t see him anymore. She knew it wasn’t fair to him when her heart wasn’t really in it - and the bottom line was that he just wasn’t _Matt._ She wasn’t sure anybody could _ever_ compare to Matt and her feelings for him. She’d surprised herself by how quickly her feelings had re-emerged. She’d done a pretty good job of burying them – or so she thought. Here she was, feeling like she and Matt had never been apart and her whole future was right at her feet.

But was that something Matt _really_ wanted? He had his insecurities about their relationship and maybe he felt like they were better off as friends. It worried her that they were holding their feelings back right now. She didn’t want to fall into the same pattern they did when they were 18. She didn’t expect things to be perfect, but she expected _something._

Despite her reservations, the events of the following shift threw her into action. It was like the universe was trying to send her a message. Like it was trying to tell her she was getting a second chance with the best person she’d ever known, with the person she loved most in this world and that she shouldn’t waste it.

But the message? It came under the scariest of circumstances.

Her pulse was ringing in her ears the entire car journey from Med to 51. She could hear the officers in the front seat talking to her, but she wasn’t responding. Her mind was elsewhere. Her mind was on _him._ She had to see _him_. _She could have died today_. She could have died before they’d had their second chance. Before she’d been truly honest with him about whether she really loved him or not.

The bells had gone off a few hours ago and she and Foster had responded to a medical assist a few blocks away. When they got there, they went inside and found two police officers standing over a bleeding man. One was holding a gun on him, the other was putting pressure on his wound. They explained that he’d been shot in the abdomen, but the assailant got away – or so they thought.

The assailant came busting through the door, knocking straight into Sylvie, elbowing her in the face in the process. He then proceeded to turn around and fire a panicked shot at them – and it hit Sylvie in the shoulder. They got her to med, they removed the bullet and stitched her up, and she would be fine.

But it was terrifying. _She_ was terrified. She’d been held at gun point before on the job, but nothing could have prepared her for someone _actually_ pulling the trigger.

When she stepped out of the car, she saw that Matt was already rushing down the apron towards her. She wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms, but the sling on her arm was preventing her from doing so. Instead, when he got to her, he pulled her into his side and her whole body sunk into him. It was amazing how one person could make her feel so safe.

“Are you ok?” he asked quietly as Foster left them alone and went to speak to the others.

Sylvie nodded, “I’ll be fine.”

Tears started to cloud her vision and she bit her lip to keep them under control. Upon seeing this, Matt took her hand in his and led her away from everyone and into his quarters for some privacy. She was grateful he’d done so. She just needed some space to breathe. She needed some space to be honest with him in case she never got another chance.

As soon as Matt closed the door behind them, Sylvie let out a huge breath and her tears started to fall. She was a brilliant paramedic. Nothing steered her away from her job. Nothing stopped her from doing whatever she had to do to save a life – but that didn’t mean she wasn’t human. It didn’t mean she didn’t get scared. It didn’t mean she didn’t _feel._

“I was so scared, Matt.” She confessed, shaking slightly where she stood. “I just – it all happened so quickly, and I was on the ground before I’d even registered what had happened, but as soon as I hit the ground – all I could think about was _you_.”

Matt gently rubbed her back, his other hand moving to her hair, comfortingly moving a few strands out of her face. She’d always loved it when he played with her hair.

“All I could think about was all the things I never said to you when were 18 and the chance that I could be missing out on right now.” She added. “I never told you back then just how much I loved you. I just let us slip away and I buried those regrets, but I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want to hold back. _I love you Matt Casey_. I do. I always have and I know this might seem like a reaction to what just happened but it’s not. I know I’m going to feel the exact same when I wake up in the morning, I know I’m going to feel the exact same in 30 years.” Sylvie stopped and let herself take a breath. She knew she was talking at a hundred miles an hour, but she needed to get this out. “You’re the one person that I can’t have any more regrets with.”

Matt opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything the bells went off, calling truck, engine and squad to a fire downtown. He cursed lightly under his breath.

“Go. It’s fine, I’m fine.” Sylvie said as she quickly brushed her tears away. Pouring her heart out like that only to have the bells go off really wasn’t the moment she was hoping this would be.

All Matt could do was regretfully nod before he dashed out of the room. All he knew in that moment was that his world was about to shift again – but this time, it was shifting in the best way possible.

* * *

The fire downtown had been a big one and 51 didn’t get back to the firehouse until late that evening. When Matt finally had a chance to look at his phone, he had a text from Sylvie saying she’d gone home to rest and that she would see him off shift. As much as Matt wanted to see her right now, he was grateful for this time to wrap his head around Sylvie’s words.

She loved him. She always had. She knew she always would.

The fact that she’d been so vulnerable with him, especially after all the heartache they’d caused one another, was a _huge_ deal. He knew whatever he said to her next would quite possibly be the most important thing he had ever said to her.

As soon as he got off shift, he sent her a text and asked her to meet him in their spot in the park. He wanted to do this right. He wanted to start in a place that held so much meaning to them. Sylvie had come back into his life like a whirlwind, so to come back to the place that it all started, the place that always reminded each other what they had felt right. It felt right to ground them in their history when things had felt so chaotic.

Sylvie walked through the gates a few minutes after Matt and she froze when she saw him sitting on the ground in their spot. The last time she had seen him sitting there was the morning after his dad’s death. He looked so broken that day, but now? Now he looked so peaceful. The difference in him warmed her heart.

Matt finally spotted her and smiled, jumping up from where he sat, brushing his trousers of any dirt as she walked towards him.

“Hey. How’s your shoulder?” he asked immediately.

“It’s fine. Dr. Halstead said I’ll have a pretty neat scar from it…” she jokingly bragged.

Matt chuckled, “Well at least that’s something. I uh – I’m sorry about yesterday. You shared something really big with me and then I had to leave—”

“Matt, it’s not your fault you had to go.” She insisted with a little laugh. “I’m the one who’s sorry for just throwing all of that on you. I just got scared about never having another chance to say it.

“I’m glad you did – because I have been stewing in my feelings for you for months now and I can finally see why.” He began as he took her free hand in his. “I wish I knew how to love you like you deserved to be loved back then. I wish I knew how to be more open with you. But – I also know that everything that I went through back then and everything that I’ve been through since has shaped me into a person who can _now_ love you like you deserve. Because I love you. Always have. Always will.” He confessed. Slowly but surely, he’d fallen right back in love with her over the past few months – and _nothing_ felt better.

“I’ve realised that we’re going to struggle a lot in life.” He said sadly, his mind immediately going to his father or to Sylvie’s accident. “But it isn’t something we should do alone. We’ve gotta pick who we want to struggle with – and I want to struggle with you. I want to do everything with you. I want to cry, scream, laugh, _all_ of it. I never want to let you go again.”

Sylvie’s smile grew till it was practically taking over her entire face, “How is it you always know the right thing to say?” she asked, his own words from a few weeks ago.

Matt beamed back, “I just know you. That’s all.”

From that moment on, there was no turning back. Matt had leaned down and kissed her like he’d kissed her so many times before – but this kiss had a sense of permanence and stability that wasn’t there before. It felt like completion.

Whenever they looked back on their journey together, they grew to appreciate even the hardest of moments. Those moments shaped them into the people who were able to love each other for the rest of their lives. It shaped them into the people who became a devoted husband and wife, into the people who lovingly raised their three kids in old Mrs Rivers’ house that they had bought and renovated together.

Neither of them were sure they believed in destiny – but what they had together sure did feel like it was always meant to be.


End file.
